New Years Hatchalong

Here we have the Second Annual New Years Hatchalong. Though it may have started out small it has now grown and quickly. There are currently 124 members that joined in on the fun. It's been a lot of fun participating and posting. So much has happened I gave up trying to keep up with it all, so I'll summarize briefly.
Mahonri started a thread for New Years Hatchalong. It started with about 5 or 6 people and, almost overnight it seems, the number of people grew to more than 100. We all set eggs and discussed the various breeds we would be hatching. A few days passed and a few of us candled, some on day three others on day 6 or so. Many eggs were no good and were tossed to make more room for the good ones. A few more days and more candling and more eggs were tossed. Right off there were temp spikes and humidity problems, but we worked through it together and got it all worked out. There were a few worried posts and a few hugs were exchanged and a lot of advice given. Finally day 18 came round and eggs were candled again and some were moved to hatchers and others were left in bators. The Bators were locked down and everyone waited for their hatching day to come. We all chatted to pass the time. On Day 19 a few people had early pips and hatchers and again on day 20. On 12-31-2010 we all stayed up and brought in the the New Year together. Some had chicks hatching and others were still waiting for pips. Now on 1-1-2011 the New Years Hatchalong is still going. There are still chicks hatching and everyone is still buzzing and posting.
There were a few hardships and bumps along the way. A few temp spikes and dead eggs. A few shipped egg worries and a few humidity issues. There has also been a lot of companship. Hugs and encouragement when someone had a problem. Helpful hints when someone was confused or just needed help. We were all there for eachother every step of the way. That is the greatest thing about this whole experience, Companionship and Friends.New Year's Hatch Dictionary: A few technical terms defined now for clarity(not in alphabetical order)Crack Waxing: covering a crack in the shell of an egg with parafin wax to create a protective barrier.
Maxi Pad: A highly absorbant device which is soaked with water and placed in the incubator to increase the humidity.
Naked Butt Chicken: a chicken which has had a few of its vent feathers removed accidentally when treating Pasty Butt. this term is often used for clarification.
Panic Post: A post submitted in absolute panic over a particular incident during hatching.
Panick Attack: A moment of extreme and often uncontrolable panic caused by a mishap during the incubation or hatching of eggs. Symtoms include: uncontrolable shaking, screaming, or pulling out ones hair, rapid posting of 500 word 'Panic Posts', Posting every 5 seconds for help, Running frantically from the incubator to the computer. Panic attacks are often resolved with tons of help and hugs from BYC members.
Jiggly Picture: A picture taken in grand excitement to catch a hatching chick in action. these pictures are often blurry due to the extreme trembling of excited hands.
Fat Fingers: The act of hitting two keys on the keyboard at the same time instead of the traditional one. The resulting messages often require clarification.
Baked Poo: Chick poo that has been super heated or baked under the lamp in the brooder. Baked Poo can also create the Baked Poo Smell.
Circuit Checker Thingy: A device used to check the circuits in an incubator.
Pip: a small outward crack in the shell of an egg which is an indication of early hatching. When discovered a pip is cause for extreme excitement and excited posting. For every chick hatching there was originally a pip and a very excited post.Zipping: the act of cracking all the way around the shell and hatching. Once a chick is zipped it cannot be unzipped.
Hatching Dance: a dance performed by eager hatchers in order to bring about a good hatch. similar in task to a Rain Dance. This hatch is similar to the famous Chicken Dance and even involves the same music.
Roo Up: A BYC slang word used in a similar fashion to Man Up.
Lockdown: The point three days before the hatch date when the humidity is upped, the eggs are candled a final time, and the incubator is temperature checked. From this point onward the incubator is not to be opened under any circumstances what so ever in order to preserve the hatch. Lockdown has been known to cause madness in those with weak minds. They simply drive themselves insane with anticipation toward the end when the chicks begin to hatch.
A Bazillion: the total number of chicks hatched by all of the participants in the New Year's Hatch. This is also the number of Panic Attacks.
Incubatitis: A chronic condition in which the infected person feels compelled to have a full incubator at all times. When the incubator is empty the infected person's condition begins to deteriorate until more eggs are placed in the incubator. There is currently no known cure for Incubatitis.
Incubator Nose: A condition in which the nose is slightly blunted on the end from constantly being pressed against the incubator's viewing window.
Here's How Everyone's Hatch Went: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key … l=en#gid=0First Time Hatchers and Their Chicks:
I am proud to list these first time hatchers. The New Year's Hatch was their very first time hatching eggs and they did well. With a lot of excitement they hatched their very first chicks. I can remember my first hatch and it was my favorite hatch of all.Judges4
Helped her out of the shell and left umbilical attached

Next morning she ran about and detached the umbilical. Now she's peeping around the brooder, and LOVES to be held

My first experience was wonderful. I bumbled into the hatch because I happened to set my eggs on the same day. Mahonri commented on a newby question I posted and told me to come over to the thread, so I did. There were so many wonderful, helpful, amazingly friendly people who helped me in every possible way. I was posting/reading on my iPhone about my only pipper who might need help out of her shell at the same time I was rocking my sick 2-year-old to sleep. I left the 2-year-old for a bit, propped my laptop next to the incubator for constant help, and successfully started chipping away at the chick. Then I went back to my 2-year-old with iPhone in hand to read more advice, and finally ended the night at 11:30pm typing on the laptop next to the incubator in which rested the chick who had just fallen out of her shell into my hand, thanks to the expert advice of so many people on this thread. I've gotten advice, commiseration, encouragement, and even an offer of eggs to try again for better results! My only question now is, when this is all over, where to do I go every day talk to this group of great people all in one place?? dsqard
"Chicken in a Basket" dsqard's 6 chicks hatched, 3 Americaunas and 3 Lavender Orpingtons.

This was the first time I have ever hatched chicks. I just started raising chickens last year and have been amazed at how quickly I fell in love with them. I learned a lot going through this hatch and had a wonderful time with all of the members that participated in this thread. Even my husband has joined in on the fun and suggested that we set some more eggs as soon as I cleaned up the incubator from this hatch. I was the one who had to be the voice of reason on that suggestion!goochgirHurley:Great first try, lots learned to be applied to the next hatch. I'm so very pleased with my new chicks. Also tickled that my first chick hatched NYD and is from my pullets raised this year as my first laying group from day-old chicks.Hurley's chick hatched from her own pullets.superchemicalgirlSpot, superchemuicalgirl's first ever chick hatched. A lovely Turken.
Here's a List of the Current Contests and Winners:

Mahonri will hatch 70 chicks. That is my guess. Since there are no longer 70 eggs to be hatched I'm certain my guess was not accurate.Mahonri's 82 eggs.
Mahonri's final number hatched was 32 eggs.Since I had trouble keeping up with the whole event here's my personal experience hatching. Enjoy!
My Eggs:
I set 5 Coturnix Quail eggs for the Hatchalong in my Hova Bator. I had trouble finding eggs to hatch. I looked everywhere I could think of. Finally, at the last possible second I found some eggs. I called my friend who raises Tuxedoes and Browns Coturnix Quail and called her up. She rushed over the next day with a few extra Coturnix eggs to help me out. Two eggs from her Tuxedo pens and Three from her browns. I relish these eggs and I'm so happy to be a part in the New Years Hatchalong.My Eggs

My Incubator:
My incubator is a Hova Bator Force Air Model. I don't have a turner and so I will be manually turning the eggs. I don't mind turning them by hand and I've found it gives me a better hatch rate.

Hatching on New Year's Eve!:
A few days have passed since setting my eggs and I'm proud to document my hatching. I began hearing peeps today, 12-31-10. I've been waiting anxiously and now at 4:00 or so I detected my first pip. The little guy is really taking his time. No progress since and it is now 4:46. I'll be leaving for a party soon and I just know I'm going to go insane for the entire time I'm there. I just heard a loud peep so I ran over to the bator, still nothing. I want to see him hatch before I go.
I have left Dad in charge of taking a pic of the Atomic Clock when the first chick hatches after midnight. I had to teach him how to use the camera, so i'm not so sure what I'll get for pictures. It amazes me that he even volunteered, so I'm sure it'll be a terrible pic.Here's Dad's picture of the Atomic Clock. It's actually the clock over the kitchen stove, so I don't think it counts.
I came home around 1:00a.m. on New Year's Day and there were 5 chicks in the bator all dried out and running around. The first hatched at 12:15a.m. New Year's Day. The rest began hatching shortly after according to Dad. 2 tuxedoes and 3 Browns.My little darlings all warm and snuggly under the heat lamp in the brooder. The Tuxedoes are the darker 2 and the Browns are the lighter chicks.
5 eggs set, 5 chicks hatched. 5 out of 5 makes my official hatch rate 100%. I'm hoping this is good enough to win the contest for Highest Hatch Rate.Here's my pic for the Rooster Crowing Picture contest:My Serama Roo, Sir Ama. All I had to do was walk outside and shout "Rooster, rooster" and they all started crowing for me.For the Cutest New Chick contest:A brown coturnix chick from my hatch. It's a bit blurry, but it is pretty cute! The newer the better I guess, so why not.Obviously this entire page is my entry for the Best BYC Page contest.